History of Mother’s Day
Get ready for Sunday, May 12, Mother’s Day, by using these ten creative gift ideas for mom, some of which include delectable recipes. Discover more about this historic occasion, which was formerly known as “Mothering Sunday” and is observed on the fourth Sunday of Lent. It involves Simnel cake!
When Is Mothers Day?
The date of Mother’s Day varies every year because it is observed on the second Sunday in May in the United States. Mother’s Day is not a government or public holiday, even though it is a frequently observed national holiday in the United States (when businesses are closed).
Mother’s Day Dates
Year | Mother’s Day |
---|---|
2024 | Sunday, May 12 |
2025 | Sunday, May 11 |
2026 | Sunday, May 10 |
2027 | Sunday, May 9 |
History of Mother’s Day
Since there have been moms, there has been a day set aside to commemorate them. In the past, celebrations dedicated to mothers were frequently associated with deities and maternal symbols, such as fertility, childbirth, creativity, and life cycles. Children look to their mothers for protection and nourishment, and by extension, all of mankind. The Great Mother of the Gods, Cybele, was honored with a festival by the Phrygians. The mother figure of their gods was similarly revered by the Greeks and Romans. Durga-puja, a significant celebration in India, continues to this day to celebrate the goddess Durga.
Mothering Sunday, also known as Simnel Sunday, was observed by Europeans on the fourth Sunday of Lent, long before Mother’s Day was observed by Americans. During the Middle Ages, the fourth Sunday of Lent was a holiday for laborers, apprentices, and servants—mostly daughters who had gone to work as domestic servants—to return to their moms and the church, which served as their “mother.”
Sons and daughters took on all household responsibilities and prepared a special dinner in honor of their mother. Family gatherings were the order of the day. The mother would take her family to special church services at some point during the day.
On that day, the regulations governing the Lenten fast were loosened. (The story of Jesus feeding the multitude with loaves of bread was frequently the day’s gospel.
The Cake with Simnels
During the 16th century in England, the family would cut and eat a “Mothering Cake” or “Simnel Cake,” which was brought by the eldest son or daughter. A dried fruit cake with two layers of almond paste is called a simnel cake. Eleven marzipan icing balls were placed atop the dessert to symbolize the eleven disciples. (Judas is left out.) In the past, sugar violets would also be included. See a traditional recipe for Simnel Cake here.
Who “Invented” Mother’s Day as we know it today?
The three women who contributed the most to the founding of the Mother’s Day custom in the United States were Ann Reeves Jarvis, Julia Ward Howe, and Ann’s daughter, Anna M. Jarvis. You might be surprised to learn that the remarkable ladies being recognized for their motherhood were also activists, fighting for the peace, health, and welfare of children.
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History of Mother’s Day
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